Jun 26, 2002 By Steve Ferris 3 min read

The Uniontown Downtown Business District Authority (DBDA) wants to hear what downtown business owners think about locating a juvenile group home downtown. Last week the Uniontown Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) denied an application from Fayette County for a special exception to run a group home in the Federal building, which is located in the city’s central business district.

The application was rejected because neither the county nor Adelphoi Village, operators of the group home, sent representatives to the ZHB hearing for the hearing.

An employee of Michael S. Molnar Associates, a Uniontown architectural firm, attended the hearing as the county’s agent.

ZHB solicitor Gary Altman said Molnar was not permitted to apply for the exception because it does not have an ownership or leaseholder interest in the building. Altman said representatives or attorneys from the commissioners’ office or Adelphoi were required to submit the application.

The city zoning ordinance, which was enacted this year, does not permit a group home in the central business district.

The county commissioners agreed to lease the second floor of the Federal Building on West Peter Street to the non-profit, Latrobe-based Adelphoi Village for 10 years for $25,300 per year.

Adelphoi wants to run a shelter where 12 to 16 non-violent abused, neglected or truant youth could stay for up to 30 days while courts decide on longer-term placements. Adelphoi would be prohibited from locking the entrance and exit doors because the facility would not be a detention center for delinquents – or juveniles convicted of crimes.

Instead, childcare workers would man the doors around the clock. Activities and education would be provided to the youths.

The county or Adelphoi may reapply for the exception, and DBDA member Gary Gearing said he expects the application to be refiled.

“Expect another application,” Gearing said at Tuesday’s DBDA meeting. “I want the DBDA to take a position on the Federal Building (issue).”

“I received several phone calls from concerned merchants,” DBDA Executive Director Leigh Anne Sperry said. “The business community is ver concerned over this issue.”

DBDA Chairman Mark Rafail said Sperry will send letters to current and former authority members to ask for their opinions on group home proposal. Rafail said the responses to the letters will be forwarded to the ZHB for its consideration.

Rafail said he will remain neutral on the issue because he has a conflict of interest. He said his security system’s business has done work for the county. “I’m between a rock and a hard place,” he said.

Gearing, owner of the Fayette Building, said if the ZHB agrees to make the zoning changes necessary to allow the home to open, it could lead to other changes in the central business district and the home could grow or expand.

“We need to take a position and not just let a decision be made without our input,” Gearing said.